Southwest Inspiration: Pueblo-Style Homes

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When you think of homes in the Southwest, you probably envision a beautiful pueblo-style home – stucco walls, terracotta shingles and wood beams. But what is a pueblo-style home? They’re certainly different from the homes on the east coast. How did this architecture become popular in the southwest?

Let’s dig in and find out.

What Is a Pueblo-Style Home?

Image: BobVila

Most pueblo homes are found in the western and southwestern United States and draw inspiration from Native American adobe houses, with touches of Spanish architecture.

These early homes had to withstand intense daytime heat and chilly desert nights. Natives used local materials, mostly a dried clay-mud mixture, to build their homes.

Traditional adobe homes had several distinct characteristics to retain and disseminate heat. The most noticeable are the thick walls, which were used to absorb heat during the day and release it throughout the night – keeping occupants relatively warm on cold nights. Small windows kept the inside cool by limiting the amount of sunlight that could get in.

Even the color of the clay was intentional. Light-colored clay prevents overheating, kind of like wearing a white shirt instead of a black shirt on a sunny day. Darker colors absorb light; whereas, lighter colors deflect it, keeping the house cooler.

Characteristics of Pueblo-Style Homes

Image: ThoughtCo.

Once Spanish settlers started moving into the Southwest, they added traditional Spanish architectural elements to these pueblo-style homes. Arches and columns, reminiscent of some European architecture, started to become a part of many adobe homes moving toward the mid-1800s.

Characteristics of pueblo homes today include:

Earth-tone, stucco-covered exterior

Natural materials

Asymmetrical design

Vigas, or wooden beams that support the roof, that protrude outside the walls

Rounded corners and edges

Narrow, covered porches

Small windows

Brick or wood floors

Pueblo Revival Homes

Pueblo Revival homes became popular around the 1920s and retained many of the qualities of their predecessors. The major difference is that these houses tend to be a little more ornate in design. Bright accent colors or vibrant tiles often surround doorways and windows.

Other pueblo revival characteristics:

Asymmetrical design

Earth-tone stucco exterior

Multiple stories

Enclosed courtyards

Rounded exteriors

Square windows

Arched entryways

Low-pitched or flat roof

Clay tile shingles

Pueblo-Inspired Homes

Image: Wall Street Journal

Newer construction homes that keep with the pueblo style may not look exactly like traditional adobe homes; however, you can easily see the historical connection. For example, new construction homes in Las Vegas and southern California may not technically be pueblo style but pull in elements like simple stucco exteriors, minimal décor and earth tones.

Get the Pueblo-Style Look

If you like the ease and style of pueblo-style homes but aren’t in the market to remodel or purchase a new home, there are some simple things you can do to pull the pueblo feel into the interior of your home.

Much like the exterior of the home, pueblo interior design incorporates earthy base colors, natural materials, exposed wood and bright accent colors. Don’t just limit your pueblo-inspired décor to the house – take it to the yard! Enclosed courtyards are popular with pueblo revival homes, but if that’s not realistic for your space, try jazzing up a patio and making it an intentional gathering place.